Lifting-tongs.



F. E. LICHTENTHAELER.

LIFTING TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1911.

l ,29 @@c9 Patented Mar. 25,1919.

Manx $02 FRANK EDWARD LIGHTENTHAELEB, 0F NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR TO THE WALTER E. LUMMUS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

LIITING-TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed September 19, 1917. Serial No. 192,102.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK EDWARD LIGH- TENTHAELER, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifting-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to lifting tongs, and more particularly to lifting tongs for handling blocks of caustic soda.

These tongs are particularly useful for picking up cylindrical blocks of caustic soda and placing them in a dissolver. The caustic soda in block form is shipped in hermetically sealed sheet iron drums weighing about 700 lbs. When the caustic soda is to be used the drum is laid on its side and the metal of the drum is out off of the block. When the block is placed in the dissolver it is stood on end. The lifting and turning of the block is conveniently accomplished by use of the tongs without handling, which is particularly desirable because the caustic soda is corrosive to the human flesh and wearing apparel.

The object of the invention is to provide a lifting tongs by which blocks of corrosive substances may be effectively handled.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved lifting tongs hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, showing the-tongs in gripping position on a cylinder of caustic soda; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing the to le for o eratin the ri in levers and tli e latch fog holdi g the gr igpir ig jalws in opened position.

The lifting tongs embodying the preferred form of the. invention consists of a pair of gripping levers 10 having grippingjaws 12 pivotally mounted at their lower I ends, and an operating toggle 14, 16 pivotally connected to their upper ends. The gripping levers 10 are pivoted to the ends of a fulcrum bar, which consists of apair of ing in a line connecting the lower ends of the levers 10. The jaws 12 consist of cylinclrically curved plates having gripping spurs or points 22 on their inner faces, so that they are particularly adapted for grasping cylindrical bodies. The toggle arms 14 and 16 are connected with a central pivot pin 24 which is slidingly mounted in guides 26 secured to the rods 18. A lifting link 28 is mounted on the pivot pin 24 and has an eye at its upper end adapted to receive a hook of a chain block, or the like. When the link 28 is moved upwardly, the toggle 14, 16 will be straightened, thereby forcing the upper ends of the levers 10 apart and moving the jaws 12 toward one another. lVhen the link 28 is moved downwardly, the jaws will be moved to opened position. The eye 30 formed in the lower end of the link 28 is adapted to engage a hook 32 of a latch 33 pivoted between the bars 18, and lock the jaws in opened position. The tail of the latch 33 has a T-head 34, the ends of which extend laterally over the bars 18, so that the latch is normally supported in the position shown in Fig. 1.

When lifting blocks of corrosive chemical substances, such as caustic soda, it is desirable that the lifting tongs should not be manipulated by the operative in positioning the tongs to grip the block. At the time 'the tongs are moved into position to grip a block, the jaws are locked in opened position by the latch 33, and a flexible semicylindrical band 36 connecting the jaws 12, is adapted to engage the block of material to be lifted to bring the jaws into proper position at opposite sides of a block. When the jaws are in position upon a block, the latch 34 is released from the eye 30 by a cord 38, and then as the link 28 is moved upwardly by the hoisting mechanism, the jaws grip the block. The blocks of caustic soda are usually shipped in sheet metal containers; when these containers are stripped off the blocks, they lie on their Sides as shown in Fig. 2. The blocks, however, are stood on end when they are placed in a dissolver. The pivotal mounting of the jaws 12 permits the jaws and band 36 to be turned into the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, to grip the block, and by applying them to one end of the block, the latter turn from the full line position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position when the block is lifted. Stops 40 and 42 are provided on the rear faces of the jaws 12, so arranged as to engage the gripping levers 10 to limit the rotation of the jaws to substantially 90. The material of the jaws 12 and band 36 is so distributed that the jaws will remain with their axes in a horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2, when the stops 4O engage the levers 10, or will remain with their axes in a vertical plane when the stops 42 engage the levers 10. The stops 40 serve to position the jaws for grasping a cylindrical block while it is lying on its side, and the stops 42 steady the block from movement while it is transported in its vertical position. With this construction a block lying on its side may be gripped by the tongs and turned into a vertical position as it is lifted. When a suspended block is lowered upon a support, the link 28 will move down to re lease the jaws from the block and to bring the link into engagement with the latch 33 to lock the jaws in open position ready to grin a new block. The band 36 facilitates the positioning of the jaws to grip a block of corrosive material but does not interfere with the gripping action of the jaws.

The preferred form of the invention having been described, what is claimed is l. A lifting tongs having, in combination, a fulcrum bar, gripping levers pivoted to said bar, jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers to rotate about a line connecting the ends of the levers, means to limit the rotation of said jaws on the levers, and means-to actuate the gripping levers.

2. A lifting tongs having, in combination, a fulcrum bar, gripping levers pivoted to said bar, jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers to rotate about a line connecting the ends of the levers, a flexible band connecting said jaws, and meansto actuate the gripping levers.

3. A lifting tongs having, in combination, a fulcrum bar, gripping levers pivoted to said bar, jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers, a toggle connecting the other ends of said levers, and a pivoted latch arranged to lock the toggle to hold the jaws in open position.

4. A lifting tongs having, in combination,

Leeepee ends of said levers to rotate about a line connecting the ends of said levers, a flexible band connecting said jaws, means to limit the rotation of said jaws with relation to said levers, a toggle pivotally connected to the other ends of said levers, and means to lock said toggle in position to hold the jaws in open position.

6. A lifting tongs having, in combination, a fulcrum bar, gripping levers pivoted to said bar, jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers, a toggle connecting the other ends of said levers, sliding means for operating the toggle to open and close the jaws, and a latch arranged to engage the toggle operating means to hold the jaws in open position.

7. A lifting tongs having, in combination, a fulcrum bar, gripping levers pivoted to said bar, jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers to rotate about a line connecting the ends of the levers, stops on said jaws arranged to engage said levers to steady the jaws from oscillation while a block is suspended in the tongs.

8. A lifting tongs having, in combination,

7 gripping levers pivoted to said bar, cylindrically curved jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers to rotate about a line connecting the ends of the levers, stops on said jaws for holding the jaws in position to grasp a block of caustic soda while lying on its side, and stops on saidjaws to steady the jaws in vertical position when theblock of caustic soda is suspended in vertical position.

9. A lifting tongs having, in combination, a fulcrum bar, gripping levers pivoted to said bar, jaws pivoted to the lower ends of said levers, a toggle connecting the other ends of said levers, a pivoted latch arranged to lock the toggle to hold the jaws in open position and means operative from without the tongs to disengage the latch to permit the jaws to close.

FRANK EDWARD LICHTENTHAELER. 

